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Remember: The Science of Memory and the Art of Forgetting | Lisa Genova
26 posts | 25 read | 27 to read
A fascinating exploration of the intricacies of how we remember, why we forget, and what we can do to protect our memories, from the Harvard-trained neuroscientist and bestselling author of Still Alice. Have you ever felt a crushing wave of panic when you can't for the life of you remember the name of that actor in the movie you saw last week, or you walk into a room only to forget why you went there in the first place? If you're over forty, you're probably not laughing. You might even be worried that these lapses in memory could be an early sign of Alzheimer's or dementia. In reality, for the vast majority of us, these examples of forgetting are completely normal. Why? Because while memory is amazing, it is far from perfect. Our brains aren't designed to remember every name we hear, plan we make, or day we experience. Just because your memory sometimes fails doesn't mean it's broken or succumbing to disease. Forgetting is actually part of being human. In Remember, neuroscientist and acclaimed novelist Lisa Genova delves into how memories are made and how we retrieve them. You'll learn whether forgotten memories are temporarily inaccessible or erased forever and why some memories are built to exist for only a few seconds (like a passcode) while others can last a lifetime (your wedding day). You'll come to appreciate the clear distinction between normal forgetting (where you parked your car) and forgetting due to Alzheimer's (that you own a car). And you'll see how memory is profoundly impacted by meaning, emotion, sleep, stress, and context. Once you understand the language of memory and how it functions, its incredible strengths and maddening weaknesses, its natural vulnerabilities and potential superpowers, you can both vastly improve your ability to remember and feel less rattled when you inevitably forget. You can set educated expectations for your memory, and in doing so, create a better relationship with it. You don't have to fear it anymore. And that can be life-changing.
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Jeg
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Pickpick

I love that often the right book happens along just when I need it. A recent diagnosis of dementia in someone close and this book appears. I highly recommend it to everyone. You can also find her on YouTube. This book is a keeper and I will be reading it again. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

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REPollock
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Pickpick

This book is full of fascinating information about memory and makes me unafraid to get old, even if I experience memory loss or even Alzheimer‘s.

Crazeedi I have this on my tbr, she wrote another book on Alzheimer's, excellent 10mo
Crazeedi So good, as my sister passed at 60 from early onset and lewy body dementia 10mo
REPollock @Crazeedi she mentioned that book in this one! I will have to add it to my list. Condolences on the passing of your sister. 🙏 10mo
Crazeedi @REPollock thanks🫢 10mo
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Sharpeipup
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Guess what i had for dinner which gave me more time to read tagged book. Win, win!!

Aims42 Nice!! Made BLTs here, love an easy dinner to maximize reading time ☺️🥰 1y
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Eggs
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TheSpineView Thanks for tagging me but.... 😛 2y
Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks ❤️❤️❤️ 2y
Mjm1 How was this book ? 2y
Eggs @Mjm1 Excellent 👌🏼 2y
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Eggs
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7 books finished for #January20in4Readathon
6 audiobooks, 1 ebook
Approximately 22 hours
@Andrew65

Andrew65 That‘s brilliant, thanks for playing along 👏👏👏🙌🥳🍾🥂🥰📚 2y
Eggs @Andrew65 Always a pleasure 🤩 2y
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Eggs
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Neuroscientist and author Lisa Genova shatters all the misinformation and anecdotal wisdom about memory, dementia, and Alzheimer‘s. I recommend this book to anyone over 65, or anyone who cares for someone over 65.
Day 8: #Sharreadathon @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks
Day 1: #January20in4Readathon @Andrew65
#Pantone2023 @Clwojick

Clwojick Great job! I love this author. ❤️ 2y
Bklover Great author. Haven‘t read this one yet! 2y
Megabooks Agree! This was fantastic!! 2y
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Eggs @Clwojick Thanks! She‘s one of a kind🙌🏻 2y
Eggs @Megabooks 🙌🏻 2y
Andrew65 Sounds interesting, well done 👏👏👏 2y
Eggs @Andrew65 Thanks 😊 2y
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CampbellTaraL
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Pickpick

There's a lot we (society) get wrong about memories. So much of what we "know" is myth. The good news is that well-written books like this one are out there and can put a lot of unnecessary worry at ease.

Big take away: we are supposed to forget in the same way we're supposed to keep learning throughout our entire lives. It's amazing, really.

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angieinwonderland
Pickpick

I rarely give Non Fiction 5 stars but this book deserves it. It validated some assumptions I had as my grandmother lives through dementia and even gave me study tips for the teen. I am so captivated by neuroscience so it was a fast and easy read.

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Night_Reader
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4.5/5 🌟

I don't really read/listen to non-fiction books but this one is an exception. If you're interested in the science of memory and/or worried that you might be going senile, then this is the perfect book for you.

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TiminCalifornia
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Interesting. Genova is gifted in explaining the scientific in layman‘s terms. Lots of focus on laying out the differences between normal memory loss and Alzheimer‘s related memory loss. The different types of memory and how they are formed were particularly interesting.

#audiobook

Nutmegnc I heard a lecture by her. She‘s a talented storyteller! 3y
Bklover I should read this- it is a scary subject! 3y
TiminCalifornia @Bklover This definitely helps explain memory loss, what we can do to form strong memories; what is normal for retention and what loss is due to disease. Her concluding thoughts on memory and humanity-the human experience, and her stories of a personal friend who has Alzheimer's, were meaningful and uplifting. It's a good book, excellent audiobook. 3y
Bklover Then I will definitely look it up! 3y
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TiminCalifornia
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Ready to go for February #bookspinbingo.

TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!!! 3y
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wanderinglynn
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#sundayfunday

I am fascinated with neuroscience and always want to learn more about how the brain works because there‘s just so much we don‘t know.

I stacked this book as a TBR because I have a terrible memory and find it interesting to learn why and what we remember.

Who hasn‘t played? Consider yourself tagged!

jewright I‘m reading Brain Rules right now. It‘s fascinating. 3y
BookmarkTavern I have a terrible memory too! I‘ll definitely have to look this one up! Thanks for posting! 3y
wanderinglynn @jewright I‘ll have to check that one out. Thanks! 3y
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Blackink_WhitePaper I have interest in neuroscience of thd brain too. Definitely try your recommendation. Have you read 3y
wanderinglynn @Blackink_WhitePaper I have not. I‘ll have to check it out! Thanks! 3y
Blackink_WhitePaper @wanderinglynn you are welcome 🤗 that particular book spiked my interest in wonders of the brain 3y
coffees Ohhhh i love brain stuff!!! XD 3y
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SqueakyChu
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Thank you!

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SqueakyChu
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Pickpick

The brain is a fascinating organ, and this book will help you understand the role of different parts of your brain in forming memories as well as losing them. This is an excellent book which I highly recommend.

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SqueakyChu
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Wow! This book is fascinating. I‘ve read the first half of the book so far which is about remembering. I‘m about to start the part about forgetting. This is the first nonfiction book by this author that I‘ve read. The novel of hers that most impressed me in the past was “Still Alice”, a story of a woman with early onset Alzheimer‘s.

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readswellwithothers
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🎧 Relatable explanations of science -y things are one of my top audiobook jams. This book was a wonderful example of what I love most, including humor and a solid reminder that we humans are complex and miraculous and, more often than not, our own worst enemies. 🧠 Highly recommend! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

“Take it seriously, hold it lightly: memory isn‘t everything.” 📚

Amiable I‘ve loved all of Lisa Geneva‘s other books 3y
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Floresj
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Pickpick

I really, really liked this book! Genova‘s easy to read manner about neuroscience felt less like a nonfiction lecture and more like a great, logical, interesting conversation. Including entertaining anecdotes, she gives peace of mind of why we forget things, strategies of how to keep your memory strong, and explanation of how your brain learns/retrieves info. Highly recommend!

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ElleMNOpe
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Pickpick

A pleasant surprise & really good nonfiction read. Good writing, good wit, & a lighthearted feel for a usually highly complicated subject. Full of great explanations for how the brain works with regard to memory. The information is accessible & presented with relatable examples. I sped right through my read & learned some interesting things. This would be a great primer for anyone interested in neurology & memory. Good potential for academic use.

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Centique
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Thanks for the recommendation of this book @Megabooks I picked up a bunch of holds from the library and this grabbed my attention faster than anything else I dipped into.

Lisa Genova writes in such an easy to read style. She comes across like one of the most effective teachers or lecturers you‘ve had. Her concepts are clearly organised and well explained - while this covers some neuroscience, she makes it so easy. ⬇️

Centique Absolutely loved this and read lots of bits out loud to my husband. (Poor man!) Now I want to force my entire family to read the chapter about the importance of sleep 😜 4y
Centique I‘m going to have to buy a copy of this so I can refer back to some of her points and lend it out to other people. Really good tips on how to look after your memory and also made me worry less about my father‘s forgetfulness. (Been through dementia with another relative sadly) 4y
Cathythoughts Beautiful picture ❤️ 4y
Megabooks So glad you enjoyed it!! (And that it was reassuring. 💜) We need more sleep in this house too! 4y
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Rissreads
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I needed this book as I have an immense fear of developing dementia like my Mum. It put normal forgetting into perspective.

Centique I thought this was so well done too. 3y
Jeg Just read this. Made me feel so much better. 1mo
Rissreads @Jeg thanks for the reminder! 🩵 4w
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MrsMalaprop
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As someone who has had both her parents diagnosed with dementia, I read anything reputable on the topic I can get my hands on. Genova is a neuroscientist and the novelist who wrote Still Alice, so I consider her well and truly reputable. This book about how memory works was concise, readable, and very informative. I will be recommending it widely.

Jeg About to get my copy. 4y
Jeg I did get a copy and it has sat on my TBR shelf for all this time. Right time I guess. It‘s very reassuring. 1mo
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Well-ReadNeck
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Megabooks
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I finished this book last night but decided to wait 24 hours to review it to see how well I remembered 😉 her major points. The good news is that I remembered a lot of it and she gave some great memory enhancing tips that helped me. She also talked about forgetting, how common it is, the types, and how normal aging is different from Alzheimer‘s. She discussed which diets and supplements are recommended based on current data. Great #audiobook! ⬇️

Megabooks ⬆️ I know 24 hours doesn‘t seem like a lot but I‘ve finished three books and started three more since this one. My family likes to tease me that there‘s no way I can remember all I read - and they‘re right, but no one remembers every book, every TV show, every movie, etc., however I think the parts of this book that I find important will definitely stick with me. 4y
BarbaraBB You finished 3 more books in 24 hours? Incredible. I always am surprised how much you remember of the books you have read and now I am even more. 4y
Megabooks @BarbaraBB thanks! 😊💜 I find books, including nonfiction ones, that have strong visual imagery stick with me more. For example, I‘m ready a nonfiction book about college admissions, and he talked about a group around a table eating bananas, M&Ms, and Cheez-its. That‘s memorable for me. Another one I‘m reading is The Midnight Library, and he described all the colors of green on the bookshelves. That stuck with me. 🤷🏻‍♀️ we all have our things! 4y
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BarbaraBB You‘re a visual kind of person for sure! 4y
Centique This sounds great. I‘m watching my dads memory fading at the moment so this is on my mind. 💕 4y
Megabooks @Centique it just released yesterday in NZ with a different cover - blue with a paper brain. I think you‘d find it interesting. I‘m sorry about your dad. My dad‘s memory has not been the same since his stroke. 💜 4y
Centique @Megabooks thanks Meg and love and best wishes to your family too 💕 I just placed a library hold for it 😊 4y
Megabooks @Centique to you and His Elderliness as well! 💕 I hope you enjoy the book! 4y
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Megabooks
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What a pleasant surprise to wake up and find out I pre-ordered this book. Too bad I didn‘t remember 😜😂 and started another book last night!

Tattooedteacher Curious to hear how you like it. 4y
S3V3N My pre-order came too. I ordered The Marathon Don‘t Stop: The Life and Times of Nipsey Hussle. 4y
Butterfinger I had to laugh. 4y
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CaroPi I think this will be my next audiobook 4y
Cinfhen Hurray for Tuesday‘s!!! 4y
Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks I wake up to find lots of things I order on Amazon 🙈🙊 4y
Megabooks @Tattooedteacher I‘m definitely going to start it when I finish my current audiobook! 4y
Megabooks @BeaG fantastic! I hope you enjoy it! 4y
Megabooks @Butterfinger right? I forgot Remember! 4y
Megabooks @CaroPi I hope we both like it! 4y
Megabooks @Cinfhen you know it! I‘m also interested in this. One of my friends just moved back to Mexico City. 4y
Megabooks @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks lol! Truth! 🙌🏻 4y
CaroPi @Megabooks I will let you know! 4y
Megabooks @CaroPi 👍🏻😃 4y
Megabooks @CaroPi I just finished it! Really good book, but I may get a physical copy as well to refer to, but I think I‘ll wait until it goes down in price. 4y
CaroPi @Megabooks I have to read some things for bookclubs these days but as soon as I finish I will do cleaning and listen to it! 4y
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Well-ReadNeck
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Pickpick

A great primer on how memory (and forgetting) work in the human brain. What is normal to forget (and reasons why we do). Genova also outlines how Alzheimer‘s differs from normal memory loss and preventative steps as well as tips to improve daily normal memory. Clearly and well written. #ARC #Netgalley

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